New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-06-29
Nature the Great Teacher.

In his new book, s.Nature's Teach
ings," the Rev. j. G. Wood has discuss
ed subject not before handled at
length. Its object is to show how mans
implements and mechanical devices
have Deen antic ipated in nature. He
asserts that there is no invention of
man which is not anticipated. that all
his mech anical devices have been used
in nature for countless centuries. He
claims that the great discoveries of
the future will be those who carefully
study the natural world.
The burr stones of mills are copy
of molar teeth. The hoofs of a horse
are made of parallel plates like car
riage spring. The finest file made by
man is q rough affair when comp AIRED
with a Dutch rush used by cabinet
makers. The jaws OF the turtle and
tortoise are natural scissors. Rodents
have chisel teeth and hippopotami have
ADJ teeth, which are constantly repair
ed as they are worn. The carpenters
plane is anticipated by the jaws of a
bee. The woodpecker has powerful
| little hammer. The diving bell only
| initiates the work of the water spider.
This insect, although as easily drown
ed as any other, spends great part Of
/ its life under water. Having construct
ed a small cell under the water, it
clasps q bubble of air between its pair
Of legs and dives down to the entrance
Of its cell, into which the bubble is
/ put A prOportionate amount Of wa
ter thus displaced, and when all Of it
is expelled the little animal takes up
its abode in this subaqueous retreat.
In laying its eggs on the water, the
gnat combines them in a mass shaped
somewhat like a life-boat. It is im-
possible to sink it without tearing it to
! pieces. The iron mast of modern
ship is strengthened by deep ribs run
ming along its interior. A porcupine
4 quill is Strengthened by similar ribs
When engineers found that hollow
beams were stronger than solid ones.
they only discovered principe which
1 had been used in nature for centuries
before the creation Of man A wheat
lsstraw, if solid, could not support a
/ heavy head. The bones of the higher
4 animals, if solid, would have to Be a
! which they have to support The
i framework of a ship resembles the
4 skeleton of a herring, and he who
4 would improve aerial navigation might
study the skeleton of bird with adj
vantage. Palsy made careful study
OF the shells by the seaside, in order to
learn .the best method Of fortifying a
town.
The ship worm feeds on wood, and
gradually tunnels its way through any
submerged timber. It also lines its
burroW with hard, shelly coating.
Brunei, taking hint from this, was the
first to succeed in subaauatic tunneling.
The Eddystone lighthouse is built on
the plan Of q tree TRUNK, and fastened
to the rock in mahs1er somewhat
similar to the way a tree is fastened to
the soil 1t is supposed that the first
4 idea of e suspension bridge was sng-
gested by the creepers of tropical
Il forest.
Mr.. Wood gives an iaterestinE
account of the origin of the plan for
Che Crystal Palace. Mr.. Paxton, a
gardener, hasing noticed the structure
5 Of the great leaxes of the Victoria
& Regia, . plant which had been intro
! dueed into England 4 few years pre-.
vious. struck the plan of copying in
iron the ribs of the leaf and filing the
remaining space. which corresponds ia
n the cellular portions Of the leaf. Will.
glass. Thus. by copying nature. al
81 obscure gardener became Sir Joseph
Paxton, tAs Great archjtsct lnseyicas
Il CNitip0t0y. s sssss